The IOC enables its 150 Member States to work together to protect the health of our shared ocean by coordinating programmes in areas such as ocean observations, tsunami warnings and marine spatial planning. Since it was established in 1960, the IOC has provided a focus for all other United Nations bodies that are working to understand and improve the management of our oceans, coasts and marine ecosystems. Today, the IOC is supporting all its Member States to build their scientific and institutional capacity in order to achieve the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 14 to conserve and sustainably manage ocean and marine resources by 2030.
The IOC focuses on these functions:
- Foster ocean research to strengthen knowledge of ocean and coastal processes and human impacts upon them [Ocean research]
- Maintain, strengthen and integrate global ocean observing, data and information systems [Observing system / data management]
- Develop early warning systems and preparedness to mitigate the risks of tsunamis and ocean-related hazards [Early warning and services]
- Support assessment and information to improve the science-policy interface [Assessment and Information for policy]. UNEP and IOC jointly lead the Assessment of Assessment phase of the Regular Process for Global Reporting and Assessment of the State of the Marine Environment.
- Enhance ocean governance through a shared knowledge base and improved regional cooperation [Sustainable management and governance]
- Develop the institutional capacity in all of the functions above, as a cross-cutting function [Capacity Development]
These functions correspond broadly to existing and on-going IOC programmes, components of programmes and mechanisms of cooperation, such as the Global Ocean Observing System (GOOS), the Joint Technical Commission for Oceanography and Marine Meteorology (JCOMM) and the International Oceanographic Data and Information Exchange (IODE), the Ocean Biogeographic Information System (OBIS), the Tsunami Intergovernmental Coordination Groups (ICGs), World Climate Research Programme (WCRP) and the Ocean Sciences programme, Integrated Coastal Area Management (ICAM), Harmful Algal Blooms (HAB), and Capacity Development (CD).
Regional Seas and IOC
IOC of UNESCO has been one of UNEP’s key partners in global scientific programmes for the marine environment and in many of the Regional Seas programmes for the last 30 years in regional research and development. Ongoing Regional Seas Programme collaborations with IOC UNESCO include:
- The IOC is currently cooperating with Mediterranean Action Plan (MAP) in monitoring eutrophication and the implementation in the Mediterranean of the Global Ocean Observing System (MedGOOS/MAMA project). The South Asian Seas (SAS) region also participates in the Global Ocean Observing System (GOOS) and is currently setting up the Indian Ocean Global Observation System (IO-GOOS).
- The IOC Sub-Commission for the Western Pacific (WESTPAC) was established in 1989 as a successor organization to the Regional Committee, with its main task to develop and coordinate regional marine scientific research programmes and ocean observations based on priority interests of the NOWPAP Member States. The NEAR-GOOS pilot project was formulated in order to promote cooperation in ocean observations and data sharing among the NOWPAP region.
- Five RSCAP have mandates to operate in Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction (ABNJ) and have worked with IOC-UNESCO, the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES) among other organizations to support research in the High Seas. The five include: the Convention for the Protection of the Marine Environment of the North-East Atlantic (OSPAR Convention); the Convention on the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CAMLR Convention); the Barcelona Convention for the Protection of the Marine Environment and the Coastal Region of the Mediterranean (Barcelona Convention); the Convention for the Protection of the Natural Resources and Environment of the South Pacific Region (Noumea Convention); and the Convention for the Protection of the Marine Environment and Coastal Area of the South-East Pacific (Lima Convention).
- Nairobi Convention and IOC – UNESCO are collaborating in capacity development for Marine Spatial Planning (MSP) in the WIO region to increase collective capacity to respond to change and challenges in coastal and marine environments through further development of science based management tools such as Integrated Coastal Area Management, Marine Spatial Planning, and Large Marine Ecosystem Approach.
- A MoU was signed between PERSGA and the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) to promote information exchange. This includes the joint hosting of capacity building workshops to train participants from PERSGA countries on best practices in the collection, analysis and exchange of data.
- IOC-UNESCO and the Permanent Commission for the Southeast Pacific (CPPS) strengthened the collaboration with other sister projects under implementation in the region and promoted South-South and South-North exchanges, including linkages with institutions
- NOWPAP is a partner in the Sub-Commission for the Western Pacific (WESTPAC) of the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)
- CPPS – The South-East Pacific Data and Information Network is executed through the IOC/UNESCO) with the financial support of the Government of Flanders and the coordination of the Permanent Commission for the South Pacific (CPPS). It is designed to establish an integrated coastal area management (ICAM) indicators framework in the countries of the Southeast Pacific (Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Panama and Peru)
- Other regional seas Conventions which have established close working relations and collaboration with IOC UNESCO include Cartagena Convention
For more, please visit their website: https://ioc.unesco.org/
